How can you help yourself?
1. Understand when stress is causing you a problem
- Try to make the connection between feeling tired or ill and the pressures you are faced with
- Look out for physical warnings such as tense muscles, over-tiredness, headaches or migraines
2. Identify the cause
- Sort the possible reasons for your stress into three categories: Those with a practical solution, those that will get better in time, those you can’t do anything about
- Try to release the worry of those in the second and third groups
3. Review your lifestyle
- Are you taking on too much?
- Are there things you are doing which could be handed over to someone else?
- Can you do things in a more leisurely way?
- Do you have an understanding of stress management?
- To act on the answer to these questions, you may need to categorize things you are trying to achieve and sort out your life
- This will help to release pressure than can come from trying to do everything at once
Remember to seek health and support when you need it:
- It is okay to ask for professional help
- It is important to know that you can get help as soon as possible, and that you deserve to get better
- The first person to approach is your family doctor, they can give advice about treatment, and may refer you to another local professional